Machine for forming sheet material.



J. CZAJKA.

MACHINE FOR FORMING SHEET MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR-6| 1917.

Patentedfiept. 18, 191?.

IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y JOHN CZAJKA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR FORMING SHEET MATERIAL.

1,24UIL791.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 19170 Application filed April 6, 1917. Serial No. 160,242.

for various purposes are known and may be obtained on the open market. The machines however, hitherto employed possess serious disadvantages which have barred or extremely limited their use, especiallyv for the purpose to which the invention is adapted. The method hitherto adopted in forming plates consisted in providing the die with a suitable forming or operating face, upon which the sheet metal was placed, whereupon a punch driven by a reciprocating element was exercising a series of blows or hammer strokes, so as to force the sheet metal plate to adapt itself to the form of In, view of the character of thethe dial. material and the speed with which the forming operation is to be executed, the attendant vibration, chattering, and deafening noise made extended operation impossible, and the working men only reluctantly operated the machine even for short periods.

To obviate the disadvantage of the known machine and to provide a forming device which may be operated for extended periods, without any enervating noises forms the principal object of the present invention.

With the accomplishment of this and other objects that will appear as the description proceeds, the preferred embodiment of the invention consists of the novel arrangement and combination of parts to be described illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, in said drawing,

Figure 1 is a side View of the machlne constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional v1ew to an enlarged scale of the forming tools, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the upper forming tool, the section being taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a post to which the other parts of the machine are fastened. If preferred, however, the post may be dispensed with, and the building or a partition wall available for that purpose may be used as Vertical support. To the standard 1 a horizontal bracket 2 is secured in any approved or preferred manner, such as by bolts 3. The bracket serves as support for a die 4 which comprises the lower portion 5 and the upper portion 6 provided with an operating face, which in the present instance is of concave form, but which may be altered to suit special requirements. Thus, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the operative face of the die may be plain or convex. The part 6 of the die is provided with an angular race way 7, and the lower portion 5 is provided with a complementary race way 8 for the reception of a plurality of balls 9, such that the upper portion of the die is capable of rotating on thelower part, as may be necessary in the course of forming sheet metal plates. In order to maintain the die parts in registry with one another, a set screwlO is provided which extends entirely through the lower portion 5 and enters a recess at the under sideof'the upper portion, where at its threaded terminal portion it receives a nut 11-, which abuts against a disk 12 maintained inposition .by a plurality of screws 13. At a suitable distance above the bracket 2 another bracket His provided, also fastened in a convenient manner to the standard or wall 1, such as by means of bolts 15. The bracket 14: comprises two arms 16 and 17 which are spaced from each other for the purpose of receiving therebetween a drive pulley 18. The pulley is feathered to an actuating rod 19, which atits lower portion is provided with means to which the upper forming tool 20 is secured as will be hereinafter further explained The upper end of the actuating rod 19 receives between collars the forked end of a horizontal beam 21 pivoted to a standard 22secured on the bracket 14. The beam 21 at its other end is pivoted to a vertical rod23 which extends through a plurality of guidingmeans 24 to insure vertical movement thereof. The rod 23 at its lower end is connected with a horizontal lever 25 pivoted at an intermediate portion to a standard 26 and provided at its free end with a treadle 27. A spring 28 is secured to the bracket 14 at its upper side and is connected with its other end to the cross beam 21 between the rod. 23 and the standard 22. Thus it is apparent that Ordinarily the spring 28 will raise the actuating rod 19 and maintain the forming tool 20 in elevated or inoperative position. In Fig. 1 the position is shown in which the parts will be placed after the treadle 27 has been forced downwardly. The actuating rod 19 is formed at its lowermost end with a socket 29 for the reception of a shank 30 formedintegral with a head 31. The shank 30 enters an opening provided in the socket 24 and is maintained in fixed relation thereto by means of a set screw 32'. The head 31 is cored out to provide a spherical seat upon which a number of balls 32 are arranged constituting a ball bearing for a spherical operating tool 33, which is maintained in fixed position in the head 31 by a sleeve 34 threadedly secured upon a screw threaded shoulder of the head 31. As will be seen with reference to Fig. 3, the ball 33 partly extends through the opening of the sleeve 34 and this portion is adapted to perform its operation upon a sheet material placed upon the dial. The vertical axis of the ball 33 is oil-set with respect to the vertical axis of the actuatingrod 19, so that upon rotation of the-rod 19 and head 31, the ball 33 moves concentric to said vertical axis in a path indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. At each side of the bracket 14 and adjacent its rear end a guide pulley 35 is provided, and a belt 36 is trained around the pulley 18 and the guide pulley 35, and leads to apulley 37 provided on a pulley shaft 38. It is of course, within the scope of the invention to provide directly rotary movement for the actuating rod 19 without the agency of the pulley shaft and the belt connection.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The operating tool 20 is maintained at a distance from the die 4 so that a sheet metal plate may be arranged on said die. The tool shaft is placed in rotation in any known manner, such as by rotating the pulley shaft, whereupon the belt 36 is actuated and the pulley 18 is rotated. The shank 30 and the head 31, together with the ball .33 are also placed in rotation and the latter describes a concentric path with respect to the axis of the actuating rod 19. The operator then forces the treadle 27 down by means of his foot, and the ball 33 will then move in a circular path on the sheet metal plate and will gradually force the same to adopt the form of the die face. The curvature obtained by this operation may be increased or decreased in accordance with the amount of pressure exerted on the treadle, as is obvious to any one versed in this art. The ball 33 in addition to its vertical and its concentric movement, can also describe a rolling movement about its center by virtue of the ball bearing 32, so that an operating tool is provided which has movement in any direction, whereby an exceedingly eflicient forming device is obtained free of the usual vibrating and chattering noises, and capable of speedy and accurate operation.

While the drawing illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not my intention to confine myself to the details as shown, but I want to avail myself of any changes, alterations or modifications within the scope of the invention, which I claim as broadly as the state of the art permits.

I claim 1. In a device of the character specified, in combination with a forming die, means for operating upon work placed on the die, means for imparting vertical and horizontal clrcular movement to said first mentioned means, and means permittin rolling movement of said first mentione means on the work.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination with a forming die, means for operating upon work placed upon the d1e, and means for imparting vertical and horizontal circular movement to said operatlng means, said operatin means being capable of executing a rol ing movement on the work.

3. A device for forming sheet material, comprising in combination with a forming die, means for operating upon work placed on the die, and means for imparting vertical and horizontal circular movement to said operatln means, said operating means being capa le of rotation about its center.

4. A device for forming sheet material, comprising in combination with a forming die, means for operating upon work placed on the die, means for actuating said operating means whereby the center thereof moves in a horizontal circular and perpendicular path, said operating means bein capable of rotation in any direction about its center. 5. In a device for forming sheet material, in combination with a forming die, means for operatlng upon work placed on the die, means for supporting said operating means whereby the latter is capable of rotating in any direction about its center, said supporting means being rotated about an axis distant from the center of said operating means, means for rotating said supporting means, and means for imparting a vertical movement to said supporting means.

'6. A device for forming sheet material, comprising in combination with a forming die, operating means above said die, means for supporting said operating means whereby the latter is capable of rotating in any direction about its center, said supporting means being rotated about a vertical axis distant from the center of said operating means, means for rotating said supporting means, and means for imparting a vertical movement to said supporting means.

7. In a device for forming sheet material,

a forming die, operating means above said die, means for universally supporting said operating means, said operating means being arranged eccentrically to said supporting means, means for rotating said supporting'means about its longitudinal axis, and means for imparting vertical movement to said supporting means.

8. In a device for forming sheet material, a forming die, a spherical member above said die, means for universally supporting said'member, said member being arranged eccentrically to said supporting means, means for continuously rotating saidsupporting means about its longitudinal axis, and means for imparting a vertical movement to said supporting means.

9. In a device for forming sheet material, a forming die rotatably supported, a head above said die adapted to be gradually placed in operative relation to said die, a spherical member universally supported by said head, and means for rotating said head about an axis distant from the center of said member.

10. In a device for forming sheet material,

a forming die rotatably supported, a head 12. In a device for forming sheet material, in combination with a forming die, a head above said die, a spherical element eccentrically supported in said head, said element pro ecting partly from said head, ball bearings 'interposedbetween said head and said element, means for rotating said head about its longitudinal axis, and means for imparting a vertical movement to said head.

13. In a device for forming sheet material, in combination with a forming die, a head above said die,said head being provided with a spherical seat, a ball arranged on said seat, ball bearings between said seat and said ball, said seat being formed eccentrically in said head, means for rotatin said head about its longitudinal axis, and means for imparting a vertical movement to said head.

14. In a device for forming sheet material, in combination with a relatively stationary forming die, an actuating rod movabl supported, a head on said actuating r0 said head being provided with a spherical recess on its underside and eccentrically arranged thereto, a spherical element seated in said recess, ball bearings interposed between said,

recess and said element, means for retaining said element in said head, means for rotating said actuating rod, and means for imparting vertical movement to said head.

15. In combination with a forming die, means for operating upon work placed upon the die, means for imparting a vertical movement to said operating means, and means for continuously rotating said operating means in a horizontal circular path.

16. In combination with a die, means for operating upon Work placed upon the die, means for imparting simultaneously a vertical and horizontal circular movement to said operating means, and means permitting rolling movement of said operating means on the work. I

In testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand.

J OHN CZAJKA. 

